Court Confirms Transfer of St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv to Catholic Community

On June 5, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Dnipro upheld the decision of the lower court to transfer the Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv to the Roman Catholic parish for permanent and free use. Thus, the court affirmed the right of Roman Catholic believers to reclaim one of the main Catholic churches in Ukraine — a matter that has been under discussion at various levels of government for over two decades. The news was reported by RISU’s information service.

“We prayed for this for years. And today justice has prevailed. The court acknowledged our right, acknowledged the truth. This is a victory not only for Catholics but for all Ukrainian civil society,” said the parish priest Pavlo Vyshkovskyi OMI.

Discussions about the return of the church to the Catholic community date back to the early 2000s. In 2005, President Viktor Yushchenko initiated the process. In 2020, President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed this position in a letter addressed to the Pope.

Despite these statements, the building had still not been transferred. The Court of Appeal stated that the transfer of the church is not only lawful but “a morally justified action that demonstrates respect for Ukraine’s historical and spiritual heritage.”

“We did not ask for privileges. We fought for our legal right, guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine. And today’s decision proves that the truth can be defended,” added Vyshkovskyi.

It was earlier reported that MP Mykyta Poturaiev declared all churches rented by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the state or local communities would be “returned” to their owners, with religious communities effectively evicted. He named specific examples — the Kyiv-Pechersk and Pochaiv Lavras — which, according to him, “will be returned to state ownership.”